The Street Church

What do you do when you want to pray but have no idea where to begin? Jesus’ disciples asked the same question, and his answer shows that prayer was always meant to include other people.

John returns to the first point of his letter: It's all about Jesus. We can know we are true children of God if we don't deny Christ - that he is God in the flesh, he is the way, the truth and the life.

Love for the Lord and one another is compared with loving the world. John says we can know we are true children of God if we don't love the world - don't adopt the way of life of those who oppose God, nor their value system or anything that draws our affection away from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Love is essential. John has written about this previously in his gospel account, when Jesus urged his disciples to love one another. John revisits this call to love one another strongly to his dear children in the faith.

John makes many comparisons throughout his letter, telling believers how they can know they are true children of God. The first of these is that they walk in the light and not in the darkness: choosing holiness over sin and yet being quick to repent when they do sin.